HPU continues tradition of service for MLK Day
HPU students worked throughout MLK day at various locations as a way to give back to the community. Some worked on campus packaging food while others worked outside to clean debris and trash. Overall there were 30 service projects completed with the help of 600 volunteers, totaling over 1,500 hours of service. Photo by highpoint.edu
By Alexis Ancel, Staff Writer //
Martin Luther King Jr. is considered to be one of the most influential civil rights activists in United States history, and the day we set aside to honor him is a major event at High Point University.
This day means something different to everyone; for some, it is a day to do service and do something good for the community. For others, it’s a day to remember and honor the legacy that King left behind.
HPU celebrates MLK Day not only on Monday, but also throughout the weekend leading up to it. Throughout the weekend, events were held such as a hunger banquet, film screening and various worship services.
Jan. 19 began with an annual breakfast and oratorical competition that awards scholarships to high school students who best exemplify the values and principles King embodied.
HPU considers this holiday as a “day on, not a day off.” The HPU community took part in over 40 service activities that ranged from nutrition classes to highway clean up to packaging kits of essential items for homeless people.
The service project with the most volunteers that day was the “Stop Hunger Now!” Program, where over 100 volunteers packaged food to be shipped to people in need around the world.
“High Point University is more than just a beautiful campus with beautiful fountains and buildings,” said Jasmine Williams, student and program leader for MLK day. “High Point students truly care about the community.”
Working with children was another significant aspect of the community service that took place because it gave the volunteers a chance to teach kids about the significance of MLK day and service itself.
“We’re teaching kids why we don’t have school,” Williams said. “We’re trying to show them ‘What is service?’ and ‘What is giving back?’”
Another huge part of service is simply leaving campus and getting a better feel for the city of High Point.
“People see us as our own area and that’s not how we see ourselves,” Dr. Joseph Blosser, Director of Service Learning at HPU, said. “The university is committed to the community. That’s part of being High Point’s University.”
For example, the rowing team was able to get involved in the Helping Hands Ministry and Blosser hopes that this involvement will continue throughout the year.
There is more to be taken out of this day than service, however. As Blosser mentioned, this day represents more than service.
“It’s easy to forget why we celebrate today. The service is only a part of it,” Blosser said. “Today is also about standing up for what’s right.”
In the HPU community, MLK day is not simply a day off, but it is a day to remember our past and do something good for our city.
By doing service for our community, we not only do something good for those around us, but to connect with the town we live in and form relationships with those around us. In doing this, we are striving to honor King’s legacy by accomplishing what he hoped for America.